


A New Beginning

by multifandommess



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Basically a blatant rewrite of the end of Legend Star episode 7, Gen, Just because I knew it was coming eventually doesn't mean I'm ever going to accept it, Let Satsuki Live, Minor hint of NatsuSyo & SatsuSyo because that's my bias lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 01:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17416253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandommess/pseuds/multifandommess
Summary: Satsuki thinks it’s all over, but all it takes is the right words from Natsuki to realize that his life is only just beginning.





	A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> As soon as the episode aired, I went "nope", opened up gdocs, and wrote this lmao but now I'm finally getting around to posting it

****“ _I'm… going to sleep for a while._ ” **  
**

Satsuki closed his eyes with a pained yet resigned smile, already beginning to feel himself slipping away. He'd known this day would come eventually, no matter what sort of ridiculous hopes he'd had that things could stay they way they were forever, and that he could continue protecting Natsuki for the rest of their shared life; but at some point his selfless desire to protect Natsuki had somehow warped into a selfish desire to keep living no matter what, even if it meant he was holding Natsuki back.

That was something he could never forgive himself for. He deserved to fade away for failing his most important job, his sole purpose for existing.

Not that it mattered in the end: the world never had any use for someone like him anyway, and--now that Natsuki had his friends to rely on and to help him grow--neither did Natsuki. Satsuki’s feelings were irrelevant at this point, if they were ever relevant to begin with.

“But why?”

Startled, the shadow opened his eyes to meet the inquisitive gaze of his other half. He'd expected acceptance, not questioning, and so it took him a moment to recollect himself enough to answer.

“ _Because I'm not needed anymore._ ”

Natsuki frowned, reaching out and taking Satsuki’s hand in his own. “Why wouldn't you be needed? You've helped me so much, without me even knowing--”

“ _And now I'm just holding you back. You have STARISH and that woman to rely on instead._ ”

“But they aren't you, Sacchan.”

Satsuki tightened his free hand into a fist, trying to hide his trembling without accidentally squeezing Natsuki’s hand--yet still, he couldn't help but give a weak chuckle.

“ _I never thought I'd get to hear you giving me one of your ridiculous nicknames._ ”

* * *

**_I never thought we'd get to talk like this._ **

* * *

**_I never wanted the first time we talked to be like this._ **

* * *

**_I wanted to talk to you more._ **

* * *

**_I wanted to keep watching over you._ **

* * *

**_I don't want to disappear…!_ **

* * *

Natsuki smiled, his expression sad yet understanding.

“I'm sorry Sacchan… I'm sorry it took so long.”

Satsuki’s breath hitched as Natsuki suddenly pulled him into a hug.

“And thank you. Thank you for protecting me, and for watching over me all this time. You must have been so lonely….”

“ _... Idiot…._ ” Satsuki hesitated briefly before returning the hug. “ _I exist for you and only for you; I had no reason to feel lonely._ ”

“But not anymore.” Natsuki felt his other half flinch, and moved a hand up to run through his hair. “I don't want you to exist just for me anymore. I want you to exist for _you_ , Sacchan.”

“ _... What…?_ ” Satsuki pulled back, his expression both bewildered and slightly wary. “ _Natsuki--_ ”

“You've been protecting me for so long… now it's my turn to protect you.” Natsuki gave Satsuki a bright smile. “I want you to stay with me. Instead of holding me back, I want us to grow together. I want to talk with you, and laugh with you--and I want you to be able to talk and laugh with everyone else too!”

“ _Do… do you even know what you're saying right now…?_ ” The shadow gripped Natsuki’s shirt tightly in an attempt to anchor himself, his head spinning as everything began to sink in. “ _... I… I-I’m not needed. No one wants me around--_ ”

“That's just because they don't know you yet! Just let them get to know you and I'm sure you'll all be great friends in no time!”

“ _But--_ ” Satsuki cut off, feeling sick as his mind tried to reconcile what Natsuki was saying with everything he'd known in his entire existence. “ _I'm not… if they're the ones supporting you and I'm just holding you back, then there's no reason for me to exist._ ”

Natsuki frowned, his expression upset. “Of course there's a reason for you to exist. You have to exist so you can live and experience life for yourself! And so we can be together!” As quickly as Natsuki’s expression dropped, it brightened once more. “We have a lot to catch up on, and a lot more ahead of us to experience! I'm not sure how much we'll be able to experience together since I don't really remember anything when you're in control, but… well, that's okay, because it just means that you'll have more to talk to me about!”

Satsuki let go of Natsuki’s shirt, his hands falling limply to his sides in stunned shock. “ _You… really mean it. You won't…. I'm not…._ ”

Natsuki’s expression softened as he pulled his counterpart into another hug. “You aren't going anywhere, Sacchan. I promise.”

Satsuki hesitated before resting his head on Natsuki’s shoulder, a feeling of peace washing over him as he felt himself stabilizing--for once in his entire existence, he was completely free of the lingering fear of fading away.

Now more than ever, Satsuki wanted to protect his other half, the kind soul that gave him a second chance at life and offered to share his body and his friendships and his _life_ as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

* * *

**_I'll spend the rest of my existence protecting him--and this time, I'll do it right._ **

* * *

“Syo-chan, good morning~”

Syo yawned, stretching and rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in bed.

“Mmh… good mo--?!” He nearly choked as he opened his eyes to find Natsuki smiling at him without his glasses on. “Y-you’re--!!”

“I'm still me,” Natsuki responded with a smile as he slipped his glasses on. “Sacchan is sleeping--oh, well, he was sleeping anyway. I think he just woke up. Good morning Sacchan~”

Syo stared at Natsuki, bewildered and unsure of whether he should be concerned or happy for the taller blond. “So, uh… I... guess that means you know about Satsuki now?”

“Yep!” Natsuki smiled brightly, before his expression suddenly shifted into a smirk.

“Too bad for you, runt--the glasses trick isn't going to work anymore, so you're going to have to learn to deal with me being around.”

Before Syo could so much as open his mouth, Natsuki’s expression shifted back to his usual bright smile.

“Sacchan told me it's a lot easier for him to come out and say hi now! Isn't that great?”

“... It's too early for this. I’m going back to sleep.” Syo flopped back down on his bed and pulled the covers over himself, his head already spinning just trying to keep up with the sudden switches.

Natsuki pouted. “Syo-chan, no going back to bed! You told me you were going to come watch the recording session, remember?”

Syo groaned and forced himself back out of bed. “Alright, alright, I'm up.”

_I don't think my heart will be able to handle them switching back and forth without warning…._

He let out a quiet sigh. _But still…._ Syo smiled. _I'm happy for them._

* * *

“So, this is going to be a normal thing now, huh.”

Satsuki glanced up from his music sheets when Syo entered the room. “Got a problem with that, runt?”

“Not really. I just don't see you out this often, unless it's to beat up someone.” Syo paused for a moment, and upon receiving no response (or more particularly, upon not receiving the “well maybe I'm here to beat you up” that he'd been half-expecting and half-bracing himself for), he continued speaking. “I'm glad. To see you out more like this, I mean.”

Satsuki sharply glanced back up at Syo. “That supposed to be sarcastic?”

“Honestly no, it's not. I really am happy for you.”

The shadow looked bewildered, and Syo belatedly realized that this might have actually been the first time he'd openly admitted to any sort of positive feelings towards Natsuki’s other half--which made him feel the slightest bit guilty, even if Satsuki hadn't exactly given him much reason to react favorably towards him.

It took a second for Satsuki’s mumbled thanks to reach Syo’s ears, but when they did, the sound of the genuine words combined with Satsuki’s embarrassed expression as he ducked his head (in a poor attempt to seem like he was entirely focused on his music, but which was fooling absolutely no one) prompted a soft smile in response.

_Maybe this won't be so hard to get used to after all…._


End file.
